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Two big victories put Smesko’s squad in good mood

But given some of the struggles the FGCU women’s basketball team has fought to get past this season, such success is certainly reason to smile. Or in this case, laugh.

In a refreshing display of ease given some of its hand-wringing this season, the Eagles did as much wise-cracking as they did hoops talking after Saturday’s 76-42 home win over Kennesaw State.

“Who is this kid all of a sudden?” FGCU coach Karl Smesko said after normally laser-focused senior leader Sarah Hansen cracked colorful commentary in the team’s post-game news conference.

“I’m ready for my stand-up act,” Hansen said with a grin as big as Smesko’s.

“I was afraid you guys were going to ask Hansen another question,” Smesko said at the interview’s end.

“I got jokes,” Hansen shot back.

With two home wins last week by an average margin of victory of 38 points, FGCU (18-7, 12-1 in Atlantic Sun Conference) might finally be turning the corner to the kind of consistency with which program stalwarts Smesko and Hansen have long been accustomed.

Not a moment too soon, either.

With only five regular-season games remaining, including a season-ending showdown at A-Sun co-leader Stetson on March 8, FGCU has all but run out of time to continue repeating the same lessons before the A-Sun tournament, March 11, 15 and 16.

Not coincidentally, FGCU’s strides have come since seeing its 44-game A-Sun regular-season winning streak – longest in the nation – snapped in a 63-43 loss at Northern Kentucky on Feb. 1.

The bulk of FGCU’s troubles have been on offense, where poor shooting and worse cohesion have suddenly been replaced by rhythm, chemistry and better accuracy on the Eagles’ lifeblood: 3-pointers.

After hovering around 32 percent beyond the arc most of the season, FGCU has climbed to 34 percent as a team after hitting 13-of-25 triples in a 99-57 win over Mercer on Thursday and 7-of-12 3-pointers in the second half of Saturday’s win.

“I don’t know if I ever look at losses as blessings,” Smesko said. “For whatever reason after the loss, there was definitely more of a willingness to accept some of the things that we had been going over for the previous few weeks. But I don’t want to lose again and think that’s a blessing.”

Just as FGCU’s on-court offensive cohesion has improved, so too has its general comportment.

While personality issues have never been publicly blamed this season for the struggles, the jovial demeanors of late on the bench and afterward perhaps indicate a team rallying together.

“Earlier in the year, some of it is we played such a tough schedule,” Smesko said. “Some kids got off to a tough start, and they let it affect them mentally.”

Carrying better teamwork and confidence for a number of players, FGCU today visits Jacksonville (10-13, 7-5), which lost only 56-49 to FGCU last month in Alico Arena.

As their games — and camaraderie — showed last week, though, the Eagles are looking much better of late. Even Smesko — often too exasperated this season to be his sly, wry, wise-cracking self — couldn’t deny that.

“I’ve been getting a lot of compliments,” the tie-wearing Smesko said with intended sarcasm of whether he’ll keep the look the rest of the season. “But I’m one who thinks I look good no matter what I wear.”